Phren-Dolus

Chapter 3

MICHAEL:

It's around 10 pm, I wasn't at school today because I thought it would be a great idea to drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. In my defense I felt like shit so I thought that could fix it. It did not.

I haven't seen Danny today, so of course I'm worried about him. His dad usually works from 7pm-4am. Not your typical graveyard but I don't care. He can eat shit.

My cousin, Ian, is sitting on his bed doing homework. He got me mine from school and it's done already, I'm letting him use it to check out answers. We share a room.

"Hey did you see my friend at school today?" I ask hoping for some information, he doesn't look up, "Claire?"
"What? We're not friends we just fuck"
He makes a grossed out face"uhhh ok?"
I scoff "no I'm talking about that scrawny boy".

That got his attention and he sits up from his work, "you mean the one that just awkwardly stares at everyone?"
"Yes?" "Yeah didn't see him" Wow.. that was so helpful. "Ok imma go check on him" "cool".

I swear to God he has the attention span of a goldfish. I move and hop out the window. And grab my jacket on the way.
I'm gonna take my bike. Not my motorcycle because that'd make too much noise. I know the way to Danny's house like the back of my hand. I hope he's ok. I really do.

When I get to his house his dad's shitty should be broken down truck is gone. Thank you Jesus. I walk to the door and go to knock. But..it's open so I push through and make a B line for the stairs but not without noticing the drops of blood on the floor. "Danny?" I panic. There's a beat, and then another before "in here" I rush to the bathroom.

He's sitting on the floor without a shirt and his pant leg rolled up showing off a very swollen ankle. And on his arm, is a gash that's bleeding heavily that he seems to be trying to stop. I'm not going to address the healed marks on his arms but it does make me feel sick to my stomach.

I drop down next to him "what can we use to stop that?" "I-i don't know" "will your dad notice a rag going missing?" "Probably, I have a first aid kit but I don't know if we can use anything in there for this"

It doesn't look like he'll need stitches, it doesn't look deep but wide. I don't know how to describe it, I've never seen something like this before. Ok ok think. Check the first aid kit, gauze, Neosporin, disinfectant, wrap. Ok great, bleeding, gotta stop it for the most part to disinfect.

Getting toilet paper I held my hand over it and pressed, giving Danny an apologetic look when he yelped. Soon enough it stoped. "Danny we gotta disinfect. Did you do this? I won't be mad. I just wanna know if it was something clean."
"No! I didn't, I swear! it-it was the monster"

Monster? I signed and grabbed hydrogen peroxide, it's better safe than sorry. "Ok it's ok I believe you just hold your arm over the sink ok?" He just nodded and moved himself to the counter. I grabbed his left hand with my left, moving his arm over the sink and told him to squeeze my hand when it hurts, he nodded and I poured the peroxide over it, making white bubbles immediately.

"Shit!" "Hey it's ok" I said pouring a bit more until there wasn't anymore foam.  I dressed and wrapped the wound. And sat back, giving him some room to breathe.
"I sprained my ankle." "Yeah I can see that" I hope that didn't sound snarky,
"How do we fix it?" I have no fucking idea.

"My aunt Cristy is a nurse" I offered.
"And what are we gonna do? Walk there?"
I rolled my eyes, "I could go get my motorcycle and you clean this up? And then I take you back here like you never left" he thought about it for a second. "Ok, that sounds fine"
"Danny? How did this happen?"
"The monster" he said with zero hesitation.

I felt an exasperated sigh build up in my chest. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the ankle is his dad's fault, and that he gave himself that cut. That's what seems more realistic. "I'll clean up the blood trail and you take care of the stuff in here, ok?" He nods and I take care of the trail he left.

Once it was done I came back to the bathroom to help him put things away, Danny had done most of it but I wanted to help more. I helped him down stairs letting him lean his weight on me. And helped him to sit in front of his house.
"My jacket! It got blood on it, I don't want it to stain" "it's alright, I'll go put it in the washer on cold ok?" "Yeah, ok"

When I got back to Danny he was sitting on the curb with his head in his hands.
"You ok?" "Fine, how long is it gonna take you?" "Maybe 10 minutes?" He nodded.  "Are you cold at all? It's kinda chilly out"

Danny looked to the other side of the curb "no" he said like a liar. I looked at him with a dead pan, took off my jacket and dropped it on him, it's leather, he should be good with that. He looked at me flabbergasted that just put it on.

I got on my bike and went back to my house, using the front door this time. I found my aunt sipping wine and watching TV.

"Um aunty Cristy?" I questioned trying not to be nervous. She looked at me lazily "Michael, it is 10:40 at night. What do you need? It better be important, I've had a long day" God I hate to do this to her, going home from work just to work some more. "My friend, Danny, got hurt" that caught her attention "when I bring him back here, can you check out his ankle?"

She looked alarmed, surprised and curious. "Sure kiddo, I'll get my stuff ready" "ok thank you" I ran out the house to my motorcycle. Hope I didn't keep Danny waiting too long.

Sorry it took so long to post this life's been hectic, this is 1088 words